Opinion: Fisheries leaders should be looking out for Maine’s little guys

CENTRAL MAINE • November 11, 2025

I taught myself how to catch lobster, fix an engine and keep my business afloat when everything’s working against me. Maine’s lobster fishery is at a tipping point. We need our leaders to fight alongside us, not with the big-money, foreign-controlled industrial fishing fleets tearing our fisheries apart. That’s not what happened recently at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. They voted with the big boats in the face of data showing that the Atlantic menhaden fishery and everything it supports, including our fishery, is in trouble. We need those fish for bait in the lobster fishery. Striped bass are in big trouble, too. They can recover if we leave more menhaden in the water for them to eat. Lobbyists convinced NOAA to give their industrial fleet millions in “disaster relief” for the disaster they created. All we got was higher bait prices. Our leaders need to fight for us by eliminating industrial fishing for baitfish. ~ Knoep Nieuwkerk, Kennebunk

River champion Steve Brooke never gives up

TROUT UNLIMITED • Nov 10, 2025

A long-time resident of Farmingdale, Maine, Steve Brooke has been a tireless advocate for the state’s coldwater resources, his passion for trout and Atlantic salmon driving his efforts to work — alongside many others — toward their protection. He’s seen some defeats, and many victories. Brooke said, “It doesn’t really matter who gets credit for something as long as the job gets done. Just keep working very hard along the way.” In the 1980s, Brooke became an active member of TU’s Kennebec Valley chapter. He joined the movement calling for the removal of Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River. The dam came down in 1999.  Brooke worked for years alongside other river advocates as they turned their attention to the next four dams on the river. In September, the Nature Conservancy announced that it reached an agreement with the dams’ owner, power company Brookfield, to purchase the four dams. They will eventually be decommissioned and removed.

Snowmobile club equipment vandalized in Strong

SUN JOURNAL • November 10, 2025

The destruction of the Narrow Gauge Snowmobile Club’s Tucker Sno-Cat groomer occurred over the weekend and the club president is pretty sure it was a targeted assault. In fact, he has deemed it sabotage. “Our Tucker Sno-Cat groomer was deliberately and maliciously destroyed by what is clearly a person or group of people intent on our club’s demise this season,” is how Club President Christopher Gavin described it. According to Gavin, more than a gallon of mud, sand and water was poured into the big machine’s exhaust pipe to destroy its motor. Without the groomer the club will be unable to maintain its nearly 60 miles of trails this season.

Portland joins lawsuit over PFAS-laden firefighting foam at jetport

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2025

The Portland City Council unanimously voted to join a lawsuit against developers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, on Monday night. PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals that have been used in a multitude of products including firefighting foams, nonstick cookware and water-resistant fabrics for decades. They are sometimes called “forever chemicals,” because they do not break down easily in the environment and can accumulate in soil, water, and the human body. The decision to join the lawsuit makes Portland part of the multidistrict litigation over PFAS contamination, which consolidates hundreds of lawsuits against chemical manufacturers in federal court.

Centering climate at Maine's first Green Schools conference

MAINE PUBLIC • November 10, 2025

Maine held its first Green Schools Symposium last week at Thomas College in Waterville. More than 400 educators, students and officials came together Friday as part of the 'Green Schools Network.' Attendees formed working groups to generate ideas on outdoor education, sustainability in schools, green infrastructure in school buildings and more. Glenn Cummings, Green Schools Director at the Department of Education, said that despite the environment being a popular subject in an outdoor state like Maine, there are still some districts where there's only one person teaching climate. "We don't want those people to feel alone," he said. "They want to feel like they can be part of a larger network, and they can get resources, they can get conversations going, and they can get support for each other that allows them to just be more effective."

Maine winter looking meh, forecasters say

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 10, 2025

It’s likely to be your average Maine winter. Forecasts by the National Weather Service call for routine winter temperatures, not too much hotter or colder than Mainers have come to expect between December and March. Precipitation is also expected to be about average, though if it teeters in one direction, it likely will be on the dry side.

Opinion: Snowshoeing in New England found its footing in Maine

SUN JOURNAL • November 10, 2025

Snowshoe clubs first emerged in 1925, the brainchild of journalist, sportsman and future Lewiston mayor Louis-Philippe Gagné. A recent immigrant, he wanted French Canadians and their Franco-American descendants to better know and understand one another. A proponent of snowshoe diplomacy, Gagné asserted that  “…the most efficient diplomacy for good relationship […] and the best good-neighbor lie in a man-made product called a snowshoe. It makes you happy, healthy, and with it you become acquainted with the joy of living.” His hobby became a cultural movement that spread throughout the New England states and Canada. ~ Jonathan Gosnell, chair of French studies, Smith College

Maine farmers plagued by destructive deer get new option to hunt them

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 10, 2025

A new state program allows farmers to increase hunting on their land by giving them extra free permits to use or distribute. It reflects the threat that increasing deer populations are posing to Maine’s agricultural economy. The Deer Management Assistance Program through the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife offers the permits to commercial growers who are seeing significant crop damage from deer. Farmers said they believe it’s an overdue step in the right direction, but it’s going to take more than that to make a dent in the destruction.

Letter: Modernize the grid, power Maine’s tech future

DAILY BULLDOG • November 9, 2025

Between 2024 and 2025, the average electricity bill for Mainers jumped 36.3%. For the poorest Mainers, this isn’t an inconvenience — it’s a brutal choice between heat, food, or medicine. Maine’s affordability crisis didn’t just happen. It’s been the result of deliberate policy choices — and they’ve made electricity both more expensive and less reliable. The Governor and Legislature have prioritized wind and solar, though neither can affordably or reliably power our state. That is why we need an energy policy that prioritizes keeping the lights on and power the innovations that make our state successful. Without it, Mainers risk spending even more of their hard-earned money on high energy costs. ~ Matt Jacobsen, North Yarmouth

Climate change theater inspires audience in Freeport

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 9, 2025

As golden hour descended over Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport late Saturday, Luke Myers geared up for his fourth time hosting a Climate Change Theatre Action event. Over the course of the early evening, a large group gathered to watch six live theatre productions, all centered around climate change.  It was part of an initiative by Climate Change Theater Action, where around 50 playwrights from all over the world write short climate change plays to be shared in small productions. The productions always include a climate action element. “I think climate change is the biggest issue facing humanity for our lifetime,” Myers said.

Fire causes heavy damage at Maine sawmill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 9, 2025

A fire at the Irving Forest Products sawmill in Dixfield caused heavy damage to part of a building Saturday. No one was hurt. Irving Forest Products bought the Dixfield sawmill in 1998 and has invested more than $40 million into the mill. The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating.

Opinion: Bayside properties offer Portland a rare chance at a community reset

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 9, 2025

After years of lawsuits and false starts, Portland has finally reclaimed the 3.25 acres known as the Midtown properties. This rare chance for a reset is a test of Portland’s resolve to build a community worthy of all the values we envision for our unique small city. We must prove on this last significant peninsula parcel of public land that we have learned from past mistakes of rushing to cede civic decisions to the balance-sheets of potential buyers. A park at Midtown would not displace anyone, but would anchor all the surrounding concentrated housing to sustain livability for generations. Smart growth serves the people. Portland does not have to pit one priority against another. With over 140,000 square feet back in citizen hands, we can create hundreds of new homes, while reserving some of our land for a public park in the most logical place. ~ Thomas Blackburn, Bayside Neighborhood Association, and Camelia Babson-Haley, Youth & Family Outreach

As winter approaches and the ground freezes, dry wells could stay dry through spring

MAINE MONITOR • November 8, 2025

According to the National Weather Service, “overall conditions are still running significantly below normal, with most of the region running between 30 percent to 60 percent of normal” rainfall. Allyson Hill, the director of the Oxford County Emergency Management Association, said she has been hearing reports of homeowners refilling their wells from local water sources. Water gets into wells from the water table in the ground. It is then filtered through sand and clay and rocks. Dumping water into a well bypasses those natural filters, according to Hill, and can introduce bacteria and water into a home. “You should never pour,” Hill said. There is another complication looming. Once the ground freezes, drought conditions are usually locked in until spring because water cannot dissipate down to wells when the ground is frozen.

Wetland boardwalk could be built next to new Ellsworth courthouse

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 8, 2025

A project to build a new quarter-mile road to a site where the state plans to construct a new $55 million judicial center could lead to other improvements and developments around the courthouse site, Ellsworth officials said. A parking lot for the Down East Sunrise Trail could finally be built in Ellsworth near the new courthouse site. The nearest public parking for the roughly 90-mile trail, which extends east from Ellsworth to Pembroke in Washington County, currently is three miles away. The courthouse development also opens the possibility of building public access into the Card Brook wetland. If the city gets an easement on part of the state-owned courthouse property, it would look into building a boardwalk trail.

Column: Swarovski’s new AI binoculars can identify 9,000 bird species

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 8, 2025

Technology is advancing so fast, it’s hard to keep up. Swarovski Optik’s new AX Visio binoculars use built-in GPS and image-recognition AI to know where you are and what you’re looking at. Supposedly, these new binoculars can identify 9000 bird species with reasonable accuracy. The binoculars cost over $5000 to identify a bird in your backyard. I’ll come over to your house and do it for half that price. Scientific advances are making a difference on the landscape, too. University of Missouri researchers are using drones and artificial intelligence to monitor migratory water birds more safely and accurately. BirdCast combines radar data with weather forecasts to predict migration waves. AI connected to BirdCast could automatically dim the lights on tall buildings to reduces mortality in migratory flyways. It could also power-down wind turbines. With modern tools, many people don’t need to sharpen their personal identification skills. Ultimately, AI can only do so much. ~ Bob Duchesne

Column: Why would you find a dead bird in your bird house?

SUN JOURNAL • November 7, 2025

Why would there be a dead bird in a bird house, especially with its eggs? Unfortunately, a common problem for cavity nesting species comes from competition with non-native species that also want to use those cavities, in this case, a bird house. The most common culprit is the house sparrow, also known as the “English sparrow” because they are an Old World species. They are very aggressive and will go into an occupied box and peck the adult bluebirds to death. Even native species will compete with bluebirds and sometimes show “agonistic behavior.” Should you be cleaning out your bird houses now? The easy answer is yes, clean them out and give birds a fresh start next year. Many parasites, especially mites, move into old nest material, so removing those is helpful. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Step-by-step: Training through Franklin County’s local trails a lesson in endurance

LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • November 7, 2025

I started when my treadmill broke, forcing me to head outside. What felt like an inconvenience turned out to be a blessing. Getting outdoors, breathing fresh air and soaking up natural vitamin D was far better than staring at a wall indoors. I noticed wildlife, the changing light through the trees, and a kind of calm I never got from a machine. Best of all, hiking and walking were free, saving me the cost of a new treadmill while giving me something much more valuable. Walking, jogging and hiking aren’t just for exercise. They improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, strengthen the heart and support a healthy weight. Walking can also boost mood and mental health, helping to reduce stress and anxiety.

Scarborough on track to become a ‘Tree City’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 7, 2025

Scarborough is one step closer to becoming an officially designated “Tree City.” The Town Council voted Wednesday to adopt a tree care ordinance to regulate the planting, maintenance and removal of trees, shrubs and other plants on town property and public rights of way. The ordinance also establishes a Tree Care Advisory Board, a new body that will develop a list of desirable trees to plant, record and share tree planting information, support tree-related education programs and oversee Arbor Day activities.

A dozen communities in Maine are Tree Cities

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • November 7, 2025

There are more than 3,400 Tree Cities USA. To be a Tree City, the community must meet four standards set by the National Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. The following communities in Maine have been designated Tree Cities USA: Augusta, Auburn, Bath, Bangor, Dover-Foxcroft, Farmington, Hampden, Kennebunkport, Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Yarmouth.